This pioneering study investigates painting as performance—or the execution of paintings in the presence of an audience—in Japan during the period between the 16th and 19th centuries. The various socioeconomic settings and functions of this artistic practice are analyzed, from elite entertainments and expressions of community to alternative artistic identities and public relations events. The shared experience between artist and observer is considered as well as the resultant artwork, contending that the concept of painting as performance depends on the circumstances of execution and the social relations between those involved. Representing the first attempt at confronting this subject in a methodical manner, it draws from copious research in the fields of Japanese history, art history, and visual cultures studies, highlighting this unique process as a phenomenon worthy of enquiry.